Digital Democracies & Disinformation
in partnership with Fundação Getúlio Vargas
As technology has progressed to permeate every aspect of our lives, the rise of social media has had a profound impact on governments and democratic processes. Disinformation and ‘fake news’ have made it difficult to separate fact from fiction, with increasingly vocal distrust of electoral processes among voters and candidates alike. Democratic institutions’ failure to keep pace with advances in technology and online communication have left them vulnerable to attacks from which they have little or no defence.
Canning House and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) were delighted to host this joint webinar looking at Digital Democracies and Disinformation in Latin America. The event aimed to better understand the context in which we find ourselves, looking at the rise of social media platforms and alternative media and their role in propagating disinformation, as well as what democracies in Latin America can do to defend themselves and protect electoral and political processes.
This event addressed:
- The impact of social media and new forms of communication on democracy in Latin America
- The use of social media by both elected governments and external forces to destabilise democratic institutions
- Where this trend is leading democracies in Latin America
- How democratic institutions can protect themselves against attacks and attempts to delegitimise democracy.
Speakers
Chair: Sylvia Colombo
Correspondent in Latin America, Folha de S.Paulo
Marco Aurelio Ruediger
Director of Public Policy Analysis, Fundação Getúlio Vargas
Elaine Ford
Director and Founder, D&D Internacional
Pia Mundaca
Executive Director, Espacio Público
Jorge Paulo de França Junior
Executive Director of the Secretariat for Participation, Interaction and Digital Media